ROMANCE: Paranormal Romance: The Valley (Book One) (Fun, Sexy, Mature Young Adult Vampire Shape Shifter Romance) (7 page)

She barely walked two steps along the hallway before the door opened again. Duke Rathbone was still naked as he grabbed her arm and spun her around. The passionate kiss rocked Ella’s head back and she was breathless when their lips parted.

              “I’ll see you in my bedroom tonight,” he said. “And you’ll be just mine.”

Ella couldn’t stop the quickening of her heartbeat as she stood in the hallway after he returned to the study. She touched her fingertips to her lips and could almost feel his kiss still on them. The excitement of his words remained on her mind as she walked towards her room and a smile flashed across her face. She knew she was going to give her lover everything he wanted and suspected he would teach her everything he knew about love and sex.

THE END

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Dark Secret

Chanel Montague

Dark Secret

Chapter 1

In my 25 years on this earth, the world around me shifted astoundingly. As we approached the 20
th
century, my parents would have never thought that I’d be a free woman who could pull her own. Around me, beasts of machines called trains were built, and it seemed like the world was a lot smaller than it originally was. My friends all went to work in the emerging factories, where smoked bellowed out of them like puffs from a dragon of ancient times.

The world around me changed at an alarming rate, but I myself was a simple woman. I lived in Richford, a town made up of farmers and other people who liked it simple. I myself lived in a cottage with a collection of farm animals in my backyard.

I considered myself to be a self-taught woman. I knew how to read and write from studying at a young age. I learned how to own a house and take care of animals. My neighbors always gave me dirty looks, as if I killed the house’s previous owner and took over. It was as if a black woman couldn’t live in her own home without a man. Perhaps, when I grew up, my children wouldn’t have to deal with this silly stuff.

That’s why I kept to myself. I’d wake up, fix myself some farm-fresh eggs, read the paper, and take care of my animals. I’d venture out to the store only as a last resort. Everyone eventually ignored me, and for a while, life was great.

But then, something happened. Maybe it was because I was growing older, but life began to grow dull. Every day felt exactly the same. I’d wake up sighing and go to bed grumbling. My mamma would have cursed at me for not enjoying this life I had made for myself, but I didn’t care for it.

Maybe it was time for me to find a man. But who? There wasn’t anyone in this small town, and I couldn’t just pack up and move. I had two big factors preventing me from finding a man. First, I was a black woman in a white neighborhood. Second, I was a bit big. My body was a mix of husky and pudgy, my face quite round for my age. I worked out, and ate only what I needed, but my body always looked that way. Mamma said that the man above gives you your body for a reason, but I wasn’t sure why he would give me what he did.

Another day. I woke up, rubbed my eyes, put on my gown, and walked to the doorstep. The paper boy had laid today’s paper already, and I checked out the headline.
“Oil Tycoon to Visit Richford.”

I started reading the article.
Riley Ashton, founder of Royal Oil, will be visiting Richford to speak with its citizens. Ashton, who wants to spread industry to places it’s not occupied yet, will be making a speech promoting technology and the industrial complex. He will be speaking Monday at the town square.

I rolled my eyes. Lovely. I moved to Richford because I didn’t want to be working at a plantation for the rest of my life. Now, this man wanted to bring the industry to this quaint town.

In a way, I got it. Technology was spreading everywhere, and soon, it would be inevitable. Richford would have to change. But why now? I sighed as I fixed my breakfast of bacon and eggs. The people wouldn’t be happy about this.

However, that did sound like it would be entertaining. I was wanting some spice in my life, so maybe seeing everyone lose their mind over this oil tycoon would be the entertainment I needed.

And so, I waited for the day of the speech before I stepped into the world outside. Already, all the neighbors were leaving, as if they were going to church, and heading towards the square. I followed.

The town square had a fountain in the center and a few pavements, and that was as advanced as it got. The carpet over the podium where Ashton would stand was fancy by Richford standards.

A crowd gathered near the square. Some were willing to listen, and others were trying to knock the podium over. A line of officers, all with bags under their eyes, pushed them back, and soon the crowd more or less got under control. Until Riley Ashton came out.

From the saloon, which was usually closed at this time, Ashton walked towards the podium, surrounded by three bulky men who looked like they were about to punch someone. Because of all the men surrounding him, I couldn’t get a good look of him, and assumed he was just another old white man in a suit. As he got onto the podium, I realized I got two out of three right.

Indeed, Ashton was white and in a suit, a top hat as big as a smokestack, but his face had not succumbed to time too much. He appeared to be in his early thirties. His slick, black hair matched his short mustache, and his face had a chiseled look to it.

Even though I hated rich white boys, I had to admit, he was good looking. Say what you will about rich people, but they always had style. He tipped his hat with those dapper white gloves as he spoke in his booming voice.

“Hello, citizens of Richford!”

There were jeers, and a few cheers from the younger crowd, as Ashton greeted everyone. The tycoon made a deep chuckle. “I see many of you aren’t educated about what I do.”

“We know damn well what you do!” a man shouted. “You take our land and build those factories for your own gain!”

Everyone cheered, and I expected Ashton to run off the stage in defeat. Instead, the oil tycoon smiled.

“I admit, I do get a profit off it.”

Everyone stopped and gasped.

“What? Why is that such a surprise? Some tycoons will sugar coat it, but I’ll tell it to you straight. But that isn’t the only reason why I’ve come here. I believe that this revolution will better humanity. I know many don’t like change. When the wheel was invented, there were probably protestors. But you must go with the changes if you want humanity to go forward.”

He continued. “See, I used to be like you. I’m not one of those tycoons whose wealth was inherited. I was like you. I had a tough job, but big dreams. I would always hear about rumors about oil wells, and how if you found a huge one, you were rich. So one day, I walked out of my job and went into the desert. For weeks, I dug, finding nothing but dirt. My hands grew calloused, and my health began fading. But just when I was about to go home, my pickaxe struck the right place at the right time. Oil shot from the ground, and soon I discovered an entire pond beneath me. With the profit I got, I formed my own company, and here I am today.”

Everyone around me seemed a little less agitated, instead listening with keen ears. He laughed. “This is more like it. I’ve seen what oil can do for the world, and I hope to be a part of this change. Imagine the horse and carriage being replaced by an oil-powered machine that goes much faster. That’s one of the possibilities that can come when industry takes over these United States.”

Everyone began talking to each other.

“That would be nice.”

“Maybe he’s not so bad.”

“I still think what he’s doing is a sin against God. Don’t let his forked tongue sway you. The serpent promised riches, too.”

“But he used to be just like us!”

The clamoring intensified. I was more interested how this man could sway a crowd just like that. At first, they wanted his blood, but now, they were coming to. The man’s charisma was part of it.

As for me, I was sitting on the fence about it. On one hand, I imagined the result of this research being a smaller world, where everyone was within a short distance. No longer would it take days to travel to the next town, but instead, hours. The idea did sound quite nice.

On the other, and this was my mamma’s wisdom talking to me from beyond the grave, would there be consequences? My mamma taught me that nature was not to be disturbed, that we should live in harmony with the environment. Who knew what the end result would be if you used natural resources like mad, all while blowing smoke into the air?

It was a fascinating turn, and I was interested to see how it would go.

“I’m in the middle of negotiations with this town. If the town comes through, I shall build oil rigs across the town, as well as a few factories. No worries, though. I promise that these will not collide with your farms or other buildings. Some tycoons will tear down farms and evict people from their homes just to build a factory, but I believe that this is wrong.”

Everyone nodded. “How do we know you’re not lying?” one asked.

Ashton smiled. “Because I wouldn’t want someone to do that to me, so why should I do that to someone else?”

They all began talking amongst themselves again. This process repeated for almost an hour, with many back and forths between peasant and aristocrat. He ended it by saying he only hopes for the best in America, and then he left the stage, his bodyguards escorting him. Some applauded, and others booed. The crowd broke away, and then I was left scratching my head.

I still didn’t know what to think of Ashton. He was quite good looking, he seemed charismatic and well-intentioned. But so was a politician. I didn’t know the real Ashton, nor would I probably ever.

With the crowd thinning, I wondered where I should go next. The speech was less thrilling and instead more interesting. The craving for excitement was that of a ravenous beast, and I needed some way to nourish it. But how?

I walked for a bit, and then I noticed the saloon.
Gary’s Grubby Saloon,
the wooden sign read. I’ve been here a few times, but I thought the place would be a bit more packed since all the talk of the town would be about Ashton. Would he be good for this town, or would he be a bust? It would be interesting to hear about.

I walked into the saloon, and sure enough, it was packed. Tough cowboys were playing poker on the table as the servers gave them full glasses of beer. A Gypsy danced on stage, all while two people fought over the last cup of ale. There were even other black people in the saloon. As for me, I found a nearby seat at the bar. The gray-haired bartender asked me what I wanted.

“Just give me an apple cider,” I said. “Not too much on drinking.”

The bartender spoke. “I love your type. Some will condemn you for not wanting to get drunk, but that means less struggle for me. I don’t have to ask you to leave because you’re too much of a drunkard.

He poured me a cider, and I sipped on it. As I did, someone to the right of me made a “Hmm.”

I turned to my right. The man in front of me nodded. “A woman who stays sober. I like that.”

This man had has dark hair in a mess, along with his mustache. He dressed in ordinary, if slightly torn, clothes, and his face had a few patches of dirt on it.

At first, I thought he was a bum who begged for enough coins to fuel his alcohol addiction. But then, I looked past the dirt. I imagined if this man was cleaned up and had nicer clothes. Then, I gasped.

“Ashton?” I asked.

Chapter 2

The man nodded, but then put his finger to his mouth. “Shh…”

“Sorry.”

This was so strange. Not only was he dressed like a peasant, but he had no bodyguards around. I didn’t see anyone close by who could even be a bodyguard in disguise.

He looked around, and then when he realized the coast was clear, he began talking softly to me.

“Since you know my secret, I’ll give you a million dollars if you don’t tell anyone.”

I chuckled. “Seriously? I promise I won’t tell anyone. No one would believe me, anyway.”

He snickered. “I suppose so. You may be wondering why I’m dressed like everyone else, huh?”

I nodded.

“Well, that’s my secret to being a successful businessman. Most tycoons, as I said in my speech, were born into wealth. They have no idea what it’s like to be poor or live with the ‘normal’ people. Every time I visit a town, I take some time to play the part. I dress up and watch other people. I learn what they’re gossiping about, what their dreams are, and why they fear people like me. Even though I grew up like them, I still want to go back to how I was so I’ll never forget where I came from. It’s good for me, and good for my business practices.”

“That’s interesting,” I said. I knew my words sounded a little vague, but I really was intrigued. No man had gone so far as Ashton did, and that made an already unique man even more of a mystery. “By the way, my name is Rosy.”

“I suppose it is. And hello, Rosy. How do you feel about my speech?”

I blushed, looked away for a second, and then said my words. “You’re a great speaker, and you did manage to change my mind a bit. But I’m still skeptical about this new world that’s coming our way.”

Ashton nodded. “Indeed, indeed. In a way, I am as well. I do wonder if what I’m doing is right, or if I’m playing God. Then again, as I said in my speech, every inventor probably thought that.”

He ordered another beer, taking a light sip of it.

“I’m just surprised you’ll talk to me,” I admitted. “I’m poor and black, for crying out loud.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do either of those things have to do with you being a person who’s good to talk to? Some of the wisest men I’ve known make pennies an hour, and some of the smartest minds come from a black person. I’m glad to see that slowly, this country is considering you on par with the white man.”

I sighed. “Same. But we still have a lot to go until we’re on equal footing, if we’ll ever be.”

“Indeed. Even all the money in the world can’t make me wave a magic wand and make all the ills go away. But you know what, I believe this revolution could help. I see blacks and whites working together, trying to go beyond the ground we’re trapped on. I imagine us making machines that can soar to the heavens and beyond.”

He then turned around to face me. “But enough talk about me. I want to hear about you. How have your struggles been?”

“Honestly, my life has been blessed so far. I mean, some people discriminate against me, but I have a house, a farm, and all that other stuff. But I’m growing bored of that. I don’t know if it’s because I’m growing older or what, but I needed some thrills. That’s why I decided to go to your speech. I needed some excitement, and I thought the crowd was going to hang you, to be honest.”

Ashton laughed. “Same here. Even my bodyguards couldn’t defend me against an angry mob. But I feel you on that. That’s another reason why I like to be one of you guys. My life can be quite boring, too. I have maids who clean my house, fix me meals, and pamper me. I have farmers who tend to my ranch, writers who prepare my speeches, seamstresses who make my clothes, and trainers who make sure I’m in tip-top shape. It’s great having it all handed to me, but sometimes, I like to live the life of someone who has challenges.”

I laughed. “You get more interesting by the minute,” I said. “I’m just one pile of boring, honestly.”

He shook his head. “I beg to differ. The fact you’re quite well off considering your skin and the ignorance of this town is quite an accomplishment.”

“Really?” I said.

He nodded. “Really. I like that in a woman. You seem ambitious, and I need more of those people in my life. Even the people I associate with are dull. My speech writer doesn’t want to be an actual speaker, for instance.”

He stood up. “Anyway, I’m leaving before people begin noticing. If you want, you can come visit me. I’m staying at the inn tonight, in the third room from the right. I do need some company.”

With that, he walked away, and I was left to scratch my head.

A powerful oil tycoon actually wanted to talk to me some more? I thought he was just doing this to humor me, but now, I wasn’t so sure. Should I go to the inn, or should I go back home? I didn’t want to ignore an offer by a rich, and cute, man, but I also wondered if he was playing me like a piano, and I’d end up knocking on a door that led to an empty room, or a room occupied by someone else.

Well, it was worth a shot, I supposed.

I explored the town for a bit, and then I headed to the inn. The first floor had the VIP rooms, and I went across the hallway to the room where he claimed to be, people around me giving me dirty looks.
Knock! Knock! Knock!

The door soon opened, and I saw Ashton standing behind it. This time, he was dressed more regally, wearing a bathrobe made from the finest materials.

“I see you took up my offer,” he said.

I walked inside, marvelling at the VIP room. I couldn’t even dream about staying in here for the night. The bed looked extra fluffy, the furniture was made from polished oak, and there was even a bathroom, where I saw a luxurious tub.

“Your room’s amazing,”  I said.

“It’s nice,” he admitted. “I’ve stayed in better ones, though.”

“I couldn’t even imagine.” I gave the room a tour, and then walked up to him. “So, how come you wanted me to come over, anyway? At the end of the day, I’m still a nobody, while you’re a powerful oil tycoon. What use do I have to you?”

He sat down, pulling out a polished pipe. He sprinkled a little tobacco in there, lit it up, and took a draw from it. As he blew out smoke, he sighed. “Because you’re one of the better girls I know.”

I scoffed. “Quit humoring me. I’m not that good.”

He shook his head. “No, I really mean that. All the women I know I can divide into three categories. First, you have the girls who just want me for my money. Most of my maids fall into this. At first, it was good to have a harem of them, but after a while, you realize how boring and vapid they are.”

He blew some smoke from his mouth, looking like a dragon. I muttered, “Lucky maids” under my breath.

He continued. “The second category is the spoiled girl. Most oil tycoons I know are older than I am, and they have daughters who are grown. They want me to marry them to combine families, but all of them I refused. Most of them are just airheads, who think they know everything because their daddies are rich. A few of them know some business practices, but their practices are as knowledgeable as the man who runs a grocery.”

I rolled my eyes, imagining a rich heiress trying to jump on Ashton.

“It’s annoying. Then, you got the third category, and the rarest. A woman who doesn’t seem to care about my wealth, is more interested in me as a person, and who isn’t spoiled to death because of her parents.” He turned around to look at me. “And you’re that woman.”

I blushed, backed away, and raised my hands. “I’m not great. Why are you picking me, of all people, to be interested in?”

He shrugged. “Because I like you.”

My heart hadn’t pounded so fast since the time one of my horses almost trampled me. “You like me? But I’m black.”

He sighed. “Stop with that. Your skin color doesn’t mean a damn thing. In fact, if a tycoon marries a black woman, I can see this influencing the masses. Maybe we can bring tolerance to this world.”

A grin spread across my face. “Even though I haven’t been the worst example of discrimination, I wouldn’t mind that.”

He nodded. I continued. “But besides that, I’m not really that good-looking. I’m too hefty for your average woman, for example.”

He shook his head. “I, personally, like that in a woman. Some of the best women I’ve known have been bigger. To me, a bigger woman means a bigger heart.”

I grinned. At this point, I realized there was no way this man was pulling my leg.

He stood up, took one last draw of his pipe, and then extinguished it. I walked towards him, and we faced each other. Some chest hair poked from his robe, and I realized how manly this guy was. He wasn’t shriveled up and old like most billionaire tycoons.

He grabbed my waist and pulled me in like this was a dance. Our lips touched, and at first, I didn’t know what to do with them. Then, he kissed me. The kiss was small at first, and we pulled away from each other to look in one another’s eyes.

As I did so, I never realized how strikingly blue they were. They sucked me back in, and I ended up pressing him against the bed as we kissed each other.

I’ve never been too romantically involved. I’ve had a few quickies with men my color, but none wanted to commit. Some were even intimidated by me. But I had enough experience to give him a run for his money. And considering he has a lot of money, that’s something.

We pulled away from each other, and he panted, some drool coming out of his mouth. I then pulled off the bathrobes tie and parted it. Underneath the robe, the billionaire had defined muscles mixed in with some chest hair. He was all man, and I ended up licking my lips. I then removed it entirely, and my eyes widened.

“You’re huge,” I said. The manhood between his legs was half-erect, but already, it looked bigger than most black men’s, even. I imagined that thing going inside me, and my own womanhood grew wet at the thought of it.

“This penis has pleasured many women, and I know you’ll love it,” he said.

God, did I want it! Usually, I liked a bit more foreplay than what I had, but I just wanted to skip it and go on with the fucking.

“Undress yourself,” he suggested.

I did so, but I turned around when I did. I was a tad embarrassed, especially with a mirror nearby. My breasts were always too big for my taste, and my womanhood, while tight, took a while to reach orgasm.

As I grew naked, I turned around and looked at Ashton. “This is what I look like,” I said. I expected him to laugh at me, but instead, he smiled.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

I almost wanted to cry as he said those words. Other men told me I looked pretty, but they were just paying me lip service because they wanted a quick lay.

This man, however, I could tell was being genuine.